NASA Solicitation: Teaming Opportunity for Advanced Component Technology For Risk Reduction on the Global Atmospheric Composition Mission
Synopsis – Jun 25, 2008
General Information
Solicitation Number: SS-NNL08ACT-RRGACM
Posted Date: Jun 25, 2008
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jun 25, 2008
Original Response Date: Jul 07, 2008
Current Response Date: Jul 07, 2008
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
Set-Aside Code:
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Description
This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in developing a proposal addressing the goals and objectives of NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH08ZDA001N-ACT Appendix A.21 Advanced Component Technologies. The NRA, Appendix A.21 can be accessed at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=128859/A.21 %20Ver2%20ACT.pdf.
Participation in this partnering synopsis is open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit institutions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S. Government Agencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Other Minority Universities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are encouraged to apply. Participation by non-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASA’s policy of no exchange of funds, in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs.
The objectives of the ACT Program are to research, develop, and demonstrate component- and subsystem-level technology developments that:
* Reduce the risk, cost, size, volume, mass, and development time of Earth observing instruments and platforms, and
* Enable new Earth observation measurements. The ACT segment of the overall Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) program advances core component technologies to a technology readiness level (TRL) that enables them to “graduate” to other programs, such as the Instrument Incubator Program, or to directly infuse them into a mission.
This opportunity focuses on advancing the components and subsystem technologies that are necessary to implement the measurements described in the National Research Council’s (NRC) Decadal Survey (Reference: Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond, ISBN: 0-309-66900-6 (2007) or access a free pdf download from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11820.html ). Measurements called for in the Decadal Survey have been assembled into fourteen (14) mission concepts with start dates ranging from 2010 to 2020 for implementation by NASA.
The Global Atmospheric Composition Mission (GACM) mission, as described in the NRC Decadal Survey, requires transformational improvements in the understanding of chemical-weather processes on regional to global scales and to make a revolutionary improvement in the ability to model and forecast global atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, and surface UV radiation. Achieving those objectives requires measurement of the global distribution of tropospheric O3 at sufficient vertical resolution to understand tropospheric chemistry and dynamic processes in tropical, mid-latitude, and high-latitude regions and the measurement of key trace gases (CO, NO2, CH2O, and SO2) and aerosols that either are related to photochemical production of O3 or can be used as tracers of tropospheric pollution and dynamics. The objectives of GACM require a unique combination of passive and active remote sensing instruments in low Earth orbit (LEO). Passive nadir measurements of CO, O3, NO2, SO2, CH2O, and aerosols can be made globally from a Sun-synchronous orbit, which is the implementation recommended here. To achieve the desired high-vertical-resolution O3 measurements to better than 2 km across the middle to lower troposphere with concurrent profiles of aerosols and atmospheric structure to better than 150 m, an active system operating in a polar LEO is required. The measurements can be made with a differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) system operating in the UV (305-320 nm) for O3 and in the visible (500-650 nm) for aerosols. LaRC is seeking potential partner(s) with the potential for making significant contributions to enhancing the technology readiness of the GACM measurements recommended by the Decadal Survey.
In particular, NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners with capabilities in the following technical areas: 1) Space-qualifiable UV laser transmitter components and subsystems, including but not limited to second harmonic generator, seed laser, optical parametric amplifier, optical parametric oscillator, and sum frequency generator technologies, meeting the GACM requirements; 2) Technologies and components with the potential of reducing the power-aperture product required for GACM measurements; 3) Supporting technologies including, but not limited to, cavity locking schemes, drive electronics, energy efficient compact packaging designs coupled with optimized cooling technologies, and high speed digitizing electronics.
Teaming with providers of and leveraging emerging technologies, such as current and recent Small Business Innovative Research awards (http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/awards.htm ), is of special interest.
If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that selected partner(s) will work with NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal. If the proposal is selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) for performance of the proposed tasks.
This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts or other agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at no cost to NASA) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules and cost estimates. Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the following order of importance: (1) Relevant experience, past performance, technical capability, and availability of key personnel. This criterion evaluates the offeror’s relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities, technical capability to perform the development and key personnel available to support the development. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similar developments should be included.
(2) Cost and schedule control. This criterion evaluates the offeror’s ability to control both cost and schedule. The ability of the offeror to complete projects on time and within the modest, fixed budgets that are characteristic of Advanced Component Technology is key. The offeror should provide evidence of successfully controlling cost and schedule for similar development programs and provide evidence of management processes in this area.
(3) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the offeror’s facilities (development, testing, and analyses) to conduct the development or demonstration of the proposed task. The offeror should discuss facility availability, access, and the ability to meet the proposed objectives.
RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to eight (8) pages in not less than 12-point font. Responses should include a description of the candidate component- and/or subsystem-level technology to be proposed and an assessment of relevance to the objectives of the ACT solicitation as outlined in NNH08ZDA001N-ACT. Responses must address each of the aforementioned evaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC via e-mail by 5:00 PM EST on July 7, 2008 to: Rosemary.R.Baize@nasa.gov.
Technical and Programmatic questions should be directed to: Rosemary Baize at Rosemary.R.Baize@nasa.gov. Procurement questions should be directed to: Liliana.j.Richwine@nasa.gov.
Point of Contact
Name: Liliana J Richwine
Title: Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-2478
Fax: 757-864-7709
Email: Liliana.J.Richwine@nasa.gov
Name: Nancy M Sessoms
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-2471
Fax: 757-864-7709
Email: Nancy.M.Sessoms@nasa.gov
